Youth Deer Hunt Story

The hunt this weekend was just as fun for the youth as it was for the Adults! With the crazy weather going in the states it has effected hunting too. This weekend was unusually hot and the deer weren’t moving as much as a result. We hunted hard, but no one was able to harvest this outing. However, we were able to see all types of other animals, and got to experience the excitement of hunting.

We had 2 sportsmen hunting for the first time with CTO, and it was also their first time deer hunting. They were very excited to get in the field! In the evening we spent time building relationships through playing a card & dice game called Fill or Bust. The game is played by turning over a card and having to roll dice to score. The card dictated what type of bonus you got, or allowed you to take points away from your opponents. The game is fun for all because there isn’t a strategy and it can only be won by dumb luck; allowing everyone to be on an even playing field.

Later all of the adults pranked the CTO Sportsmen’s by setting up deer decoys and we pretended they were real. Then Bear snuck around the house with a big stick and killed the deer with it, adding to the “Legend of Bear.”

We may have been unsuccessful in the woods, but we were blessed to be successful in our ministry. One of our sportsmen, who has been apart of CTO for about 2 years, accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior, and is now part of the body of Christ. There have been many times throughout the years where the question, “Who has excepted Christ in their life to be their Lord and Savior?” and he would never raise his hand or say anything. Then when the question came up during the deer hunt he RAISED his hand!

He said that he came to this decision to follow Christ through his CTO experience. The amount of time we spend in prayer, quiet time, bible study and “Question of the Day” questions all contributed to his change of heart. Also, through the fellowship that we have with each other, how we’re not afraid to open up to one another and still have a positive view towards each other helped him better understand who God is and why He died on the cross for us.